Burial-vault



P. W. WATSON.

BURIAL VAULT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1920.

I 1,365,806, Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

UNITED STATES PASHER W. WATSON, 0F SELBYVILLE, DELAWARE.

BURIAL-VAULT.

Application filed June 24, 1920.

To all 10110) if mug) concern.

e it known that I, PAsHER 1V. lVA'rsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Selbyville, in the county of Sussex and State of Delaware,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Vaults, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawin s.

1 his invention relates to coffin receptacles and more particularly to acement burial vault.

An important object of the invention is to provide a burial vault ofthis type which is thoroughly air and water proof.

The invention has for a further object, the provision of a burial vaultof this kind which has means for supporting a casket therein in spacedrelation to the bottom of the vault, thereby permitting circulation ofair beneath the cofiin and effectually preventing the formation ofmoisture which will cause deterioration.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentthroughout the course of the following description.

In-the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a burial vault constructedin accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10indicates a receptacle for a casket which is provided with a closure orcover 11.

' The receptacle 10 comprises a base 12 having side and'end walls 13formed integrally therewith and preferably of some suitable plasticmaterial such as'Portland cement of a good quality and which iswaterproof. The sides and ends 13 at the point of juncture of the baseare provided with enlargements 1 1 for the purpose of reinforcing thebase to eliminate the breaking common at this point, the enlargementpreferably taking the form of a panel. The outer faces of the side andend walls bulge outwardly adjacent the top thereof as at 16 and theupper face of the bul e is provided with a horizontal portion 1extending entirely around the vault. This horizontal portion. 17

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Serial No. 391,333.

is arranged in a different horizontal plane from that of the horizontalsections 15 and the material of the side and ends inter mediate theportions 15 and 17 is concaved as at 18, having the lowest point of theconcavity arranged nearer the lowermost of the surfaces 15 and 17,thereby providing its edges with a horizontal surface 20 adapted tocoact with the horizontal surface 17. Intermediate these horizontalsurfaces 19 and 20 the material of the edges of the top is convexeddownwardly to coact with the con cavity 18 of the side and end walls 13.

The under surface of the cover 11 is up' wardly eoncaved in transversesection as in dicated at 22, this concavity being continued to form atthe ends of the cover straight walls 23 permitting the use within thevaultof a full size, or slightly over size casket. The cover 11 isprovided with handles 24 embedded in the material thereof forconvenience in placing thesame in position and is suitably reinforced asat 25.

The receptacle 10 is provided in the base and side walls thereof-with alayer of reinforcing material 26, such as galvanized wire or the like,this reinforcing being bifurcated toward the upper ends of the side andend walls to form arms 27 and 28 ex tending into and adjacent to thesurfaces horizontal portions 17 and 15, effectually preventing breakageof the bulge formed of the swelling 16. The base of the receptacle 10 isprovided interiorly with transversely arranged spaced ribs 29 for thepun pose of spacing the base of the casket in the face 12, in order thatproper ventilation may be had to prevent collection of moisture.

in the use of my vault, subsequent to the placing of the casket therein,sealing material 20 is placed in the concavity 18 which forms areceptacle therefor. The cover 11 is then placed in position, theplacement is rendered extremely easy by the bag shape of the coactingedges of the receptacle and cover. The sealing material 30 is squeezedout of the concavity 18, by the convex portion 21 of the lid onto theinclined wall 18 and horizontal surfaces 15 and 17. and forms a tightseal between the abutting edges of the lid and the receptacle. The lid11 is preferably made of such length and width with the outer edges 31projecting beyond the outer edges of the swelling It) in order toprevent collection of ater in the adjacent edges therefor. If desired.sealing material may be placed beneath the overhang formed by thisextended lip 31 as at 32. further assuring the sealing of the vault.

As many changes are possible in the shape, size and general arr; ngementof the various parts herein shown. I do not limit myself to the specificstructure hereinbefore set forth. but may make any such changes, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesub-joined claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a burial vault a receptacle embodying side and end walls providedupon the upper ends thereof with enlargements. said enlargements beingprovided upon the upper surface thereof with outer and inner horizontalfaces disposed in different horizontal planes, a downwardly concavedgroove formed intermediate said horizontal surfaces and adapted toreceive a sealing tary to the upper surface of said side and end walls.the inclination of said inclined surface being sniiicient to permitsqueezing of the sealing medium placed within the groove upon saidinclined surface when the cover member is placed in position.

2. In a burial vault a receptacle embodying side and end walls providedupon the upper ends thereof with outer and inner horizontal facesdisposed in different horizontal planes. the inner horizontal surfacebeing uppermost, a downwardly concaved groove formed intermediate saidhorizontal surfaces and adapted to receive a sealing medium, said groovehaving its greatest depth at a point nearest the outer horizontalsurface thereby providing an inclined surface of considerable lengthconnecting the point of greatest depth of the groove to the innerhorizontal surface. and a cover for said receptacle provided upon itsunder surface of its outer edges with an irregular surface complementaryto the upper surface of said side and end walls. the inclination of saidinclined surface being suliicient to permit squeezing of the sealingmedium placed within the groove upon said inclined surface when thecover is placed in position, said cover being of greater width andlength than the portion of the receptacle which it engages whereby saidvault when assembled is provided with an overhanging lip at the junctionof the receptacle and cover.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

PASH ER W. WATSON.

